By Kimberley A. Martin

Eric Decker wants the Geno Smith haters to lay off.

In a phone interview with Newsday on Friday morning, the Jets star receiver came to the defense of his third-year quarterback and cautioned fans against being unnecessarily critical.

“It’s frustrating because I see him working on a daily basis,” Decker said of Smith. “If he was a guy that didn’t put in the work, didn’t care about getting better and doing the right thing and caring about his teammates, then I wouldn’t care as much. No one really understands what goes on behind closed doors during the week and stuff — the preparation, the work put in from everyone.

“So to paint somebody or to say (negative) things like that, they just don’t know. I’d like to see them in his shoes or our shoes, period. Obviously, this is entertainment, people pay to see us play, people are really invested, and I respect that . . . but just understand that this guy is a normal guy who’s trying to do his best. Why have such hateful thoughts?”

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